University of Southern California (USC): Rankings, Fees, Programs, Placements

Established in 1880, USC is a top-tier private research university in Los Angeles, United States. The University of Southern California is one of the leading private universities in the world. It is known for its academic excellence, pioneering research opportunities, and a diverse and inclusive student experience and campus environment that attracts students from the US and worldwide. There are two primary campuses of the USC namely the University Park and the Health Sciences Campus. The campus size of the University Park campus is 229 acres. The total number of Indian student enrollment is 2,682. Furthermore, the University of Southern California ranking is #27 in the 2025 edition of Best Colleges in National Universities. The tuition fees for out-of-state students is around USD 69,000 for the academic year 2024-25.

According to the student data of USC for the academic year 2023-24, the total student population is 47,000. Out of this, 21,000 are undergraduates and 26,000 are graduate and professional. The total number of international students is 12,374. Out of this, the total number of Indian students is 2,400+. The most represented geographic areas outside the U.S. are China, India, Hong Kong, UK, Singapore, South Korea, etc.

The university is well known for its Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism and its highly regarded School of Cinematic Arts, which has graduated directors like George Lucas and Judd Apatow. Notable alumni of this university include personalities such as Neil Armstrong, actress America Ferrara, actor John Wayne, other actors like Zac Efron, Tom Selleck, and actress Jenna Dewan among others. In order to enjoy the social life at USC, students can participate in any one of more than 1,000 on-campus organizations. Furthermore, USC students meet up for various reasons such as improve comedy, 3D printing, cultural potlucks, Bioethics debate, Bollywood Fusion dance, etc.

In the context of the University of Southern California admissions process, the university is considered to be highly competitive. As of Fall 2024, the total number of first-year applicants is above 80,000 and the fall admits were just 8,050. According to the official statistics, the University of Southern California acceptance rate is just 10%.

One USP of USC: Due to the university’s close proximity to Hollywood and close ties to the School of Arts and Entertainment, the architecture on campus, this university has been used in a number of movies, TV series, commercials, and music videos. A few of the movies filmed at USC include Forrest Gump, The Girl Next Door, Legally Blonde, The Social Network, etc. TV series filmed at this university include The Office, How to Get Away with Murder, Alias, Monk, Gilmore Girls, etc. Check the University of Southern California reviews from here.

Things to Know about USC

Some of the important things about the University of Southern California are given below:

History

The University of South California first opened its doors in 1880. The university is founded by Robert Maclay Widney. It was opened with just 53 students. In the year 1884, USC held its first commencement with a graduating class of three students. Then, in the year 1885, USC’s College of Medicine was established. In the year 1888, the first USC football squad was formed. Before being nicknamed in 1912, it was known as the USC Cardinals and as the Methodists. In 1897, USC began offering courses in Dentistry. Then, in 1905, The USC School of Pharmacy opened. In the same year, the Women’s Club of USC was established to generate support for the university and its students. In 1919, the USC’s Department of Architecture, the first program of its kind in Southern California opened.

In 1930, with more than 700 foreign students, USC ranked third in the US in international enrollment. In 1999, the Princeton Review and Time magazine named USC as the ‘College of the Year 2000’ in recognition of its outstanding community service. In 2001, the Association of American Colleges and Universities singles USC as one of the 16 leadership institutes. Then, in 2010, The Institute of International Education’s annual Open Doors report named USC as the country’s leader in international student enrollment for the 9th year in a row.

Check details about the University of Southern California acceptance rate from here